Anup Chetia has given support to peace talks: Rajkhowa
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday called upon the Central government to involve ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia in the on-going peace talks with between Government of India and ULFA faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA on Wednesday met Anup Chetia in Guwahati central jail on their arrival from New Delhi where they had held another round of talks with Government of India officials.
The pro-talks ULFA leaders including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa apprised Chetia about the on-going peace talks, a source informed.
Chetia was extradited to India from Bangladesh on November 11 and was immediately taken into custody by the CBI. He has now been lodged in Guwahati Central jail on expiry of his CBI custody.
Gogoi said Assam Government had all along been pursuing with the Centre for repatriation of ULFA General Secretary Anup Chetia and now since he had been finally brought to the country, he (Anup Chetia) should be associated with the ongoing peace talks between the Government and the pro-talk faction of ULFA.
In an official statement Gogoi said, “ULFA General Secretary Anup Chetia is an important figure in the context of peace talks and State Government believes that he can play a decisive role in the on-going peace process. Since Anup Chetia has been extradited his service should be utilised to give breakthrough in the on-going peace talks.”
Gogoi also urged upon the Centre to make all necessary formalities to use Anup Chetia’s service to find a permanent solution to the long standing issue.
Chetia on Tuesday reportedly expressed his willingness to shun the path of armed struggle and resort to democratic means to resolve the issues raised by the ULFA that was formed in 1979 with main objective to secure sovereignty of India. He was one of founder leader of the ULFA.
He in the capacity of founder general secretary of the ULFA took the lead in mobilising mass support for the ULFA in 1980s especially in Brahmaputra Valley areas.
Meanwhile, ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia has given his support to the ongoing peace talks between the banned outfit and the Centre.
ULFA pro-talk faction chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa gave this information to reporters today after the organisation’s central committee members met the leader at the Guwahati Central Jail.
“Our central committee members met our general secretary Anup Chetia today in Guwahati Central Jail. Chetia has extended his support to the peace process and expressed his willingness to participate in the talks,” Rajkhowa told the waiting reporters outside the jail.
The ULFA central committee members had also apprised Chetia of the progress of the parleys so far, including the one held in Delhi on Tuesday, where they demanded that Chetia be included in the peace talks, Rajkhowa said.
The delegation included ‘finance secretary’ Chitrabon Hazarika, ‘foreign secretary’ Sashadhar Choudhury and ‘cultural secretary’ Pranati Deka. Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia was on November 23 forwarded to 14 days’ judicial custody by the Special Judicial Magistrate, CBI, Assam, at the end of his five-day CBI custody.
He will be produced in the court on December 5. Chetia was handed over to India by Bangladesh where he was in jail since his arrest by the country’s police in 1997 on charges of cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.
Meanwhile, chief minister Gogoi said, “The state Government has all along been pursuing with the Centre for repatriation of Anup Chetia and now since he has been repatriated, he (Anup Chetia) should be associated with the peace talks.”
In a statement here Gogoi said that Chetia was an “important figure” in the context of peace talks and the state government believes that he can play a decisive role in the ongoing peace process. (With inputs from PTI)